Letters to the Editor for June 28, 2011

Tuesday

Jun 28, 2011 at 12:01 AM

Readers share their views on a shooting, oil, benefits and guns.

Let's wait until all the facts are in

Regarding the shooting of a man by Alachua County deputies: I ask residents to withhold passing judgment on our officers until the investigation is complete. Just because the man was "unarmed" doesn't mean he was harmless.

The man "acting very strangely," could have threatened and charged the officers. At this point we don't know what was said or the events leading up to the shooting.

This is an ongoing investigation, and if there are any witnesses they should not be making inflammatory comments until the investigation is complete. Until all the facts are presented, we should not come to any conclusions.

Jean Hutton,Gainesville

‘Serve and Protect'?

Once again part of our local law enforcement has shown that they cannot recognize the difference between a felon and mentally incapacitated citizen. When is this going to end? What part of "Serve and Protect" don't they understand?

Mike Calvo,Gainesville

Sun's reporting incites the public

It is half-witted news reporting like what has been done with the Robert Scott McBride shooting that has cost The Gainesville Sun its reputation over the last few years.

Please stop "reporting" on the case until all facts are released. The only thing being accomplished right now is inciting the public into outrage over partial facts or simple fabrications.

The ASO officers, if it is found that they acted outside of the parameters of the law, will pay for their crimes It is not The Sun's responsibility to be judge and jury.

Danny Hughes,Gainesville

Where's the ‘oil emergency' Obama?

Wikipedia notes that "The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is an emergency fuel store of oil." Why should we release some today? What's the emergency? Oil prices have been declining for the past several weeks.

In a moment of candor President Obama recently admitted that the "shovel ready" projects he touted to get his $800 billion stimulus bill passed weren't as "shovel ready" as he believed. We saw the results in the failure of his stimulus to keep the unemployment rate below 8 percent, as his administration told us it would.

He's seen the results of voters' dissatisfaction with his stimulus and other economic policies, and his approval rating has declined from 69 percent when he was inaugurated to 47 percent today.

It appears that Obama views the Strategic Oil Reserve as his personal Strategic Political Reserve.

John N. Donis,Gainesville

We're not drones

In his letter of 6-24, George Emmanuel says his blood is boiling because Robbie Czopek (Voice, 6-20) had the audacity to expect companies to include better working conditions, better benefits, child care and paid sick days as part of compensation and urges employees to demand same.

Once upon time companies truly saw employees as their most important product and provided such benefits. They recognized that they paid employees for their skills and companies earned employees' loyalty, in part by providing those "self serving" benefits and still made handsome profits.

It wasn't paying for the benefits that brought on and prolongs the recession. It was unbridled greed coupled with a belief that making a profit justified any action.

Arguing that we should all be dutiful little company drones seems far more self serving to me.

John Johnson,Gainesville

What's wrong with asking about guns?

I just read the June 24 letter concerning pediatricians asking about guns in the home. The writer said pediatricians should ask about pools in the home.

My children are grown now, but I do remember their pediatricians asking about pools and guns in the home and then giving information about how to keep my child safe.

Pediatricians should have the right to ask about these types of things that could lead to the death of a child. I never felt it was an intrusion in my personal life. Why would anyone not want the person who is caring for their child to ask these questions and give information on safety?

Karen Faircloth,Gainesville

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